This week

By Times Staff Writer
Published August 29, 2003

BLUEGRASS ON THE GRASS: The Sertoma Youth Ranch will have its annual Labor Day Weekend Bluegrass Festival today through Sunday at the ranch in southeastern Hernando County. Hours are 1:30 to 11 p.m. today ($16); 1 to 11 p.m. Saturday ($16); and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday ($12). Ages 12-16 are $2 a day, $5 the weekend; ages 11 and younger, free with adult ticket. Camping with or without electrical hookups is available. There are hot showers, dump station and covered pavilion at the site. Animals must be kept on a leash. Entertainers include Tater Hill, Cedar Creek, Flatland, Florida Bluegrass Express, Wildwood Valley, Flint River Boys, Guilbert Hancock and Eddie and Martha Adcock. Bring lawn chairs. Food concessions open all weekend, including 7 a.m. breakfast. Call (352) 754-3082 for ticket and camping information. Directions: Take Spring Lake Highway (County Road 541) to Church Road and turn east; take

Church to Myers Road and turn south; the ranch will be on the west side of Myers.

LABOR DAY FUN FEST: The Brooksville Elks Lodge will have a Labor Day Fun Fest from 2 to 5 p.m. Monday at the lodge, 14494 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville. The cost is $5 per person, which includes hamburgers, hotdogs, corn on the cob, potato salad, cole slaw, watermelon and dessert. Also included is free beer, until the keg runs dry. Advanced ticket purchase is suggested. Call 596-2582.

HOLIDAY CELEBRATION: The Aripeka Elks Lodge will sponsor a barbecue at 3 p.m. Monday at the lodge, 9135 Denton Ave., Hudson. The meal will include barbecued pork, baked beans, cole slaw, potato salad and a roll. Dance music will be provided by Mixed Bag. Tickets are $5 each. Call (727) 863-2520.

POLISH PICNIC: The Polish American Social Club will have a picnic Monday at the clubhouse, 7615 New Jersey Ave., Hudson. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m. Lunch will be from noon to 1 p.m. There will be games and prizes. Dance music will be provided by the Music Blenders from 3 to 4 p.m. Tickets are $6 each. Call Genia, 683-5360, or Mary, (727) 841-8395.

HOMETOWN ART: Paintings, artwork, quilts, photography, ceramics and poetry are on display during business hours at the Brooksville City Hall Art Gallery, 201 Howell Ave., downtown Brooksville. The exhibit is free. Call 544-5400.

QUICK TRIPS

CELEBRATING PIONEER SPIRIT: Pioneer Florida Days Festival will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday through Monday at the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village, 15602 Pioneer Museum Road, Dade City. Each day will include all-day entertainment, a "trash and treasure" sale, children's activities, exhibits and re-enactments. Food will be available. Call the museum at (352) 567-0262.

FIESTA FUN: A Labor Day Fiesta will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at "Safety Town," off State Road 52, 81/2 miles east of U.S. 19 in Hudson (or a half-mile west of the Suncoast Parkway). Saturday's activities include "Dunk a Cop," with volunteers from the Pasco County Sheriff's Office, the Corvette Show and Classic Cars, I.P.W. professional wrestling, arts and crafts, and pony rides. Sunday's activities include a custom bike show, professional wrestling, arts and crafts and pony rides. There will be food booths both days. Admission is free.

LAUGHTER THROUGH TEARS: Steel Magnolias, a comedy/drama, continues weekends through Sept. 14 at Angel Cabaret Theatre, 5201 U.S. 19, New Port Richey. Shows are at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 6 p.m. Sundays and at 1:30 p.m. some weekdays and Saturdays (call for details). Doors open two hours before each show for buffet and cash wine and beer bar. Dinner and show, $34.50; show only, $21.95, plus tax and tip. Call (727) 847-0019.

EXHIBIT: Pencil drawings, watercolors, pastels, acrylics and oil paintings by Jana Withers and pottery by Anthony C. Perro will be on exhibit today through Saturday at the Greater New Port Richey Main Street and Progress Energy Art Gallery, 6231 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey. Exhibit hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

LOOK AHEAD

SMALL BANANAS: The Small Bananas Book Corner store will have a used book sale from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sept. 6 at the East Hernando Branch Library, 31170 Cortez Blvd., Brooksville, in the Sunrise Plaza Shopping Center. Call 583-5342.

WISHFUL FUNDRAISER: There will be a fundraiser for the Make a Wish Foundation, Wishing With the Stars, at 6 p.m. Sept. 7 at Springstead High School, 3300 Mariner Blvd., Spring Hill. Performers include impressionist Christopher John and singers Bill Castner, Mary Swan, Carla Becker and Mikki Taylor. Tickets are $10. Call 683-1842.

COMICAL JOURNEY: The comedy Over the River and Through The Woods opens Sept. 11 and continues Thursdays and weekends through Sept. 28 at Stage West Community Playhouse, 8390 Forest Oaks Blvd., Spring Hill. Shows are at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and at 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $14. The theater's box office is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays and one hour before each show. Call 683-5113.

CURTAIN CALLS

Weeki Wachee Springs will have auditions for performers at this year's Wild and Wicked Nights at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the park, at Commercial Way and Cortez Boulevard in Weeki Wachee. People of all ages are needed and should be able to demonstrate acting ability through improvisations, imitations and monologues. Applicants may also demonstrate ability to move well to music. Positions are paid. Wild and Wicked Nights will be on the evenings of Oct. 17-18, 24-25 and 31 at Weeki Wachee Springs. Call 596-2062.

Auditions for The Nutcracker ballet will be Sept. 6 at the Center for Dance, Drama, Music and Martial Arts, Ridge Road Center 6646-48 (corner Ridge Road and Congress), Port Richey. Ages 12 and older will audition at 1:30 p.m.; ages 10 through 12 at 2:15 p.m.; and ages 6 through 9 at 3 p.m. Registration fee is $5. Production will be at 2 and 7 p.m. on Dec. 13 at the Center for the Arts at River Ridge. Rehearsals start the Saturday after auditions.

Auditions for the comedy A Partridge in a Pear Tree and the drama Hedda Gabler will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 11 in the auditorium at the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, 600 Klosterman Road, on the Tarpon Springs campus of St. Petersburg College. Roles are available in Partridge for a 20ish man and woman; production dates are Dec. 18, 19 and 21. Roles area available in Hedda Gabler for men and women ages 30-50; dates for the Avenue Players' productions are Feb. 12-22. Director is Diana Forgione at (727) 372-7651.

Auditions for the November production of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 8 and 9 at the Citrus County Art League, 2644 N Annapolis Ave., Hernando. This comedy-drama tells of the clash of wills between a nurse and a patient who pretends madness to get out of prison. The cast calls for 12 males and four females. Call director Fran Barg for information at (352) 746-3424.

The Citrus Community Concert Choir will have auditions from 10 a.m. to noon Sept. 6 and from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 7 for all voices for a production of Handel's Messiah. The auditions (and rehearsals) will be at St. Timothy Lutheran Church 1070 N Suncoast Blvd., Crystal River. Rehearsals will begin at 7 p.m. Sept 9. Performance is scheduled for Dec. 14. Call (352) 628-3492 or (352) 212-1746.